Uganda’s $8.79M Clean Cooking Project Signals Shift Toward Greener Future

In a significant stride toward environmental sustainability and public health improvement, the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has approved $8.79 million in financing for the Uganda Biogas and Electric Cooking Project (UBEP). This transformative initiative is set to enhance clean cooking access throughout Uganda, aiming to reduce the country’s heavy reliance on biomass-based fuels while promoting more sustainable alternatives.

A Nation Dependent on Unsustainable Fuels

Currently, approximately 89 percent of Ugandans depend on biomass fuels such as charcoal and fuelwood for daily cooking. This reliance poses multiple challenges, from escalating rates of deforestation to acute indoor air pollution. Women and children bear the brunt of these adverse effects, with open-fire cooking contributing to nearly half a million premature deaths across Africa every year.

Uganda’s overdependence on wood biomass has also created an unsustainable demand-supply imbalance, with projections indicating an annual biomass deficit exceeding 100 million tons. This situation has spurred widespread land degradation and biodiversity loss, compounding the country’s vulnerability to climate change.

A Comprehensive Approach to Clean Cooking

The UBEP aims to tackle these interlinked challenges through a multi-faceted strategy designed to promote both electric and biogas-based cooking solutions. The initiative comprises four major components:

1. Biogas Infrastructure for Public Institutions: UBEP plans to construct 47 biogas plants across public institutions including schools, markets, and farming cooperatives. These systems will utilize organic waste to produce clean-burning gas, cutting charcoal and firewood use in institutional kitchens by up to 50 percent. This step is expected to significantly reduce operating costs and harmful emissions.

2. Urban Electric Cooking Deployment: Targeting Uganda’s growing urban population, the project will roll out approximately 77,000 electric cooking devices (eCooking units) in key cities. These modern appliances offer a cleaner, faster, and more efficient cooking option. By promoting their use, UBEP supports Uganda’s goal of achieving 18 percent national adoption of electric cooking by 2030, as outlined in the country’s Energy Transition Plan.

3. Building the Clean Cooking Market Ecosystem: To ensure long-term viability, the initiative will help establish a supportive market environment. This includes setting quality standards for appliances, training technicians for installation and repairs, and developing supply chains for distribution and after-sales services. This market support is crucial to scaling clean cooking adoption beyond the life of the project.

4. Technical Training and Public Awareness: The project will invest in building capacity among SMEs, local technicians, and institutional staff to install, operate, and maintain biogas and eCooking systems. Simultaneously, a series of nationwide awareness campaigns will promote behavioral change and increase acceptance of clean cooking technologies among the public.

Policy Alignment and Financial Backing

UBEP is not a standalone effort—it aligns with Uganda’s Vision 2040 and its commitments under the Paris Agreement, as well as the Uganda Country Strategy Paper (2022–2026) developed in partnership with AfDB. The project receives its primary financial support—about 64 percent of the total cost—from the African Development Fund’s Climate Action Window. Additional funding is provided by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and the Government of Uganda.

A Ripple Effect Across Development Sectors

The environmental, social, and economic impacts of UBEP are expected to be profound and far-reaching. The shift from traditional fuels to clean alternatives will:

• Enhance Indoor Air Quality: Reducing exposure to smoke from open fires will improve respiratory health, particularly for women and children.

• Promote Forest Conservation: Decreased biomass use will alleviate pressure on Uganda’s forests, contributing to biodiversity protection and carbon sequestration.

• Improve Agricultural Output: Biogas byproducts, such as slurry, serve as nutrient-rich organic fertilizers, bolstering soil health and crop yields.

• Empower Women and Girls: By reducing the burden of firewood collection, the project frees up time for education, entrepreneurship, and employment.

• Boost Economic Development: SMEs involved in biogas and electric cooking sectors will benefit from new business opportunities, contributing to job creation and income generation.

A Model for Africa’s Clean Energy Future

Josephine Ngure, AfDB’s Uganda Country Manager, called the initiative “a major milestone” and emphasized its broader implications:

“The Uganda Biogas and Electric Cooking Project will not only curb the alarming rate of deforestation and health risks from indoor smoke but also set the pace for large-scale adoption of modern energy technologies across Africa.”

Indeed, with nearly one billion Africans still lacking access to clean cooking, UBEP could serve as a scalable model for other countries facing similar energy and environmental challenges.

As the world accelerates toward a cleaner, low-carbon future, Uganda’s bold steps—embodied in projects like UBEP—underscore the importance of inclusive, sustainable, and well-financed energy solutions in achieving both national and global climate targets.